Bach’s Inventions and Sinfonias are rightly considered as indispensable to every pianist. In his famous preface to the collection, Bach himself called it an “Instruction” which teaches students and keyboard lovers to “treat correctly” both two and three voices, to “achieve a singing style in playing” and to “acquire a strong foretaste of composition”. To this end, Bach created timelessly beautiful music which has lost nothing of its relevance to us nearly 300 years after its creation. We are now presenting a new edition of this classic collection, which draws upon all known sources and offers the best in “instruction”, especially with respect to the transmitted embellishment variants. The new Bach – ideal for pianists of every age!

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Preface

After periods of employment in Arnstadt, Mühlhausen and Weimar, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) was, in 1717, appointed court Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. Bach and his wife had four children at this time, of whom the eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710 – 84), was soon to receive a musical education. In this connection, in early 1720 … more

Critical Commentary

About the composer

Johann Sebastian Bach

For many musicians he is “the Alpha and Omega of all music” (Max Reger). Except for operas, Bach composed masterpieces for every ensemble and genre of his age. His catalogue of works contains almost 1,100 entries, including the great Passions of St. Matthew and St. Johan, the Goldberg Variations, the Brandenburg Concerti, or hundreds of singular cantatas. As organist in Mühlhausen and Weimar he creates primarily organ compositions, concerti, and works of chamber music. Later, as music director in Köthen and for the decades he serves as cantor in Leipzig, he composes chiefly sacred vocal compositions and keyboard works. His later, contrapuntally complex compositions exert an enormous influence on the compositional styles and practices of later generations.

1685

Born in Eisenach on March 21, the son of conductor and court musician Johann Ambrosius Bach.

1693–95

He attends the Latin school in Eisenach.

1695–1700

Enrolls at the lyceum in Ohrdruf, where he will live with his eldest brother, Johann Christoph, after the death of his parents; among other things, organist, and pupil of Pachelbel.

from 1700

Member of the Lüneburg matins choir. Travels to Hamburg to hear Reincken at the organ.

1703

Appointment in Weimar for two quarters of a year (at the home of Duke Johann Ernst the elder).

Appointed “Court Kapellmeister and Director of the royal chamber music” in Köthen to Prince Leopold von Anhalt-Köthen. He mainly composes keyboard music (completes the English Suites, BWV 806–811; begins the French Suites, BWV 812–817 around 1722; the “Clavier-Büchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach” from 1720; the “The Well-Tempered Clavier,” Book 1, in 1722; the first notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach from 1722; Inventions and Sinfonias for keyboard, BWV 772–801, in 1723), chamber music (Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, BWV 1001–1006, in 1720), concerti (Brandenburg Concerti, BWV 1046–1051, dedicated to the Margrave of Brandenburg, in 1721); a few secular cantatas (including BWV 134a, 173a).

1723–50

Cantor at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig.

1723–29

First Leipzig period, primarily defined by liturgical compositions.

1723/24

First year’s cycle of cantatas: integration of existing cantatas from his time in Weimar and Köthen; parody techniques, that is, replacing the texts of the cantatas for new purposes.

1724

Performance of the St. John Passion, BWV 245, and the Magnificat, BWV 243a.

1724/25

Second year’s cycle of cantatas, with new compositions.

1726

Publication of the first Partita from the later Clavier-Übung (Keyboard Practice), BWV 825–830.

1727

Performance of the St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244.

1729–39

Second Leipzig period, informed by his direction of the Collegium Musicum, which Telemann had founded (1729–37 and 1739 until at least 1741), and thus by the composition of instrumental works as well as of large-scale vocal works.

Establishment of a new type of concerto with his concertos for 1–4 harpsichords (which are almost all transcriptions of concerti with solo melodic instruments). Further compositions for instrumental ensembles.

1731

Performance of the St. Mark Passion, BWV 247 (lost). Journey to Dresden for the performance of an opera by Hasse. Clavier-Übung I, BWV 825–830.

1733

Composition of a Lutheran mass (Kyrie and Gloria), whose movements are later included in the Mass in B minor, BWV 232; with it he requests a court position from Elector Frederick Augustus II in Dresden.

Third Leipzig period, characterized by compositions of his late phase featuring stile antico and complicated contrapuntal techniques. Climax of Bach’s keyboard output.

1739

Clavier-Übung III, BWV 802–805.

1741

Clavier-Übung IV, BWV 988 (Goldberg Variations).

1739/42

“The Well-Tempered Clavier,” Book Two, BWV 870–893.

1747

Journey to Potsdam, where he improvises a fugue on a theme by the king, from which emerges “The Musical Offering,” BWV 1079. Member of the Correspondence Society of Musical Sciences; submission of the Canonic Variations on “Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her,” BWV 988, for membership. Schübler Chorales, BWV 645–650.

1749

Completion of the Mass in B minor, which is largely based on earlier compositions that were revised and amended.

1750

“The Art of the Fugue,” which remains unfinished. Death in Leipzig on July 28.

About the authors

Michael Schneidt (Fingering)

Michael Schneidt, born in Munich, received his piano education at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich, studying with Hugo Steurer and Klaus Schilde. He then completed his artistic state examination with distinction as well as his master-class diploma. He continued his education on a grant from the DAAD with Alessandro Specchi in Florence, also taking master-classes with Paul Badura-Skoda and Bruno Leonardo Gelber. Michael Schneidt has been a prize-winner at international piano competitions (1st prize Viotti-Valsesia, Italy), has done radio and TV broadcasts and also made CD recordings; he has also premiered many contemporary piano works. He has performed in Europe (e.g. at the Prague Spring International Music Festival and at the German Mozart Festival), in Japan and in South America.

Michael Schneidt also teaches piano at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich. He has given master-classes in Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Japan, and is from time to time a member of the jury at music competitions.

… more

With a brief preface and detailed commentary, this fantastic volume is also available in a cloth-bound, hardback cover version.
[Pianist, 2015]